Though the victims were younger -- some of the 20 children killed on Friday were in kindergarten -- the massacre drew comparisons to the 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech that left 32 dead and 17 others wounded in the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history. Hundreds more have died in shootings during the five years that have passed since that devastating marker.

There is no official definition of a "mass shooting," but FBI classifications describe the term as any incident in which a perpetrator kills four or more people, not including him or herself. Under that definition, 19 mass shootings have taken place since April 16, 2007, the date of the Virginia Tech massacre. That's a rate of more than one every four months -- only considering these most brutal examples. Other devastating shootings go largely unnoticed on the national stage.

The tendency to approach the issue with an abundance of caution was on display on Friday, when White House Press Secretary Jay Carney gave the administration's first official comments on the incident, saying that it wasn't the day to discuss gun control policy.

It would appear that it never is.

President Barack Obama unsurprisingly left politics and policy out of his brief address on the matter Friday. He did make a promising plea for "meaningful action." Time will tell whether he can -- or will even attempt to -- translate these words into specific policy change.

Below, a list of the 19 mass shootings over the past 5-plus years, alongside the political responses, if any, to the incidents:

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Five Years, 19 Mass Shootings, No Action

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The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary on Friday was the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, leaving 27 dead -- including 20 young children.
President Obama gave an emotional address, calling for "meaningful action":
As a country we have been through this too many times. Whether it is an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago -- these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. We're going to have to come together to meaningful action on this, regardless of the politics.

Andrew John Engeldinger, a recently laid off employee of Accent Signage Systems, entered the office building and opened fire.
(No public comments from the president.)

White supremacist Wade Michael Page entered a Sikh Temple, opening fire on congregants. He later shot and injured a police officer responding to the scene.
Presidential reaction:
Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting that tragically took so many lives in Wisconsin. At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded.
My Administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation. As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.

During a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," a gunman opened fire on the suburban Denver movie theater, killing 12 and injuring dozens of others.
Two days later, Obama delivered a ten-minute speech from the University of Colorado that made no mention of gun control:
God bless all who helped to respond to this tragedy. And I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks, and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country, but also reflect on all the wonderful people who make this the greatest country on Earth.

A man opened fire in a cafe, fatally wounding four people, then killed another in a carjacking before killing himself.
(No public comments from the president.)

A former student of Oikos University, a Korean college, entered a building on the campus and shot repeatedly at random targets.
(No public comments from the president)

A man shot and killed two of his sisters and their husbands and then himself in a Korean health spa.
(No public comments from the president.)

Scott Evans Dekraai, 41, stormed a hair salon where his ex-wife worked and killed eight people.
(No public comments from the president.)

Jared Lee Loughner, 22, opened fire in a Safeway parking lot, killing six people and injuring others including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head at point-blank range.
Two months later, Obama addressed gun control issues in an op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star:
I know that every time we try to talk about guns, it can reinforce stark divides. People shout at one another, which makes it impossible to listen. We mire ourselves in stalemate, which makes it impossible to get to where we need to go as a country. However, I believe that if common sense prevails, we can get beyond wedge issues and stale political debates to find a sensible, intelligent way to make the United States of America a safer, stronger place.

A driver for Hartford Distributors killed eight people and then himself in this workplace shooting.
(No public comments from the president.)

A Washington man walked into a coffee shop and shot four police officers execution-style.
(No public comments from the president.)

In the deadliest shooting to ever happen on an American military base, an Army Major serving as a psychiatrist went on a shooting spree that killed 13.
Obama said at a press conference:
This morning I met with FBI Director Mueller and the relevant agencies to discuss their ongoing investigation into what caused one individual to turn his gun on fellow servicemen and women. We don't know all of the answers yet, and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all of the facts.

Jiverly Wong, a naturalized immigrant from Vietnam, gunned down students and employees at the American Civic Association, where he had been taking English lessons.
President Obama said in a statement:
Michelle and I were shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the act of senseless violence in Binghamton, N.Y. today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families and the people of Binghamton. We don't yet know all the facts, but my administration is actively monitoring the situation, and the vice president is in touch with Governor Paterson and local officials to track developments.

A 28-year-old man killed his mother then drove ten miles to kill several members of his extended family, neighbors and a bystander. The victims ranged in age from 18 months to 74 years old.
(No public comments from the president.)

A gunman opened fire on a nursing home, killing seven residents and a nurse.
(No public comments from the president.)

After an argument with his boss at the Atlantis plastics plant, Wesley N. Higdon, 25, killed five colleagues and then himself.
(No public comments from the president.)

A former Northern Illinois University student, 27-year-old Steven Phillip Kazmierczak, opened fire on the campus, killing five people then himself.
George W. Bush spoke with school president John Peters and told him "that a lot of folks today will be praying for the families of the victims and for the Northern Illinois University community. Obviously a tragic situation on that campus and I ask our citizens to offer their blessings, blessings of comfort and blessing of strength."
Then an Illinois senator and presidential candidate, Barack Obama said in a statement that "we must also offer ... our determination to do whatever it takes to eradicate this violence from our streets and our schools; from our neighborhoods and our cities."

A gunman opened fire on a public meeting in the city hall, killing six people before he was shot and killed by police.
(No public comments from the president.)

Robert A. Hawkins, 19, went on a shooting spree at the Westroads Mall, killing eight people and then himself.
George W. Bush had been visiting Omaha for a fundraiser but left the city just an hour before the shooting took place. "Having just visited with so many members of the community in Omaha today, the president is confident that they will pull together to comfort one another as they deal with this terrible tragedy," the White House said in a statement.

Tyler Peterson, 20, killed six people, including his ex-girlfriend, at a post-homecoming party.
(No public comments from the president.)

Seung-Hui Cho, a senior at the school, shot and killed 32 of his classmates before committing suicide.
George W. Bush addressed the nation:
I've spoken with Governor Tim Kaine and Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. I told them that Laura and I and many across our nation are praying for the victims and their families and all the members of the university community who have been devastated by this terrible tragedy. I told them that my administration would do everything possible to assist with the investigation, and that I pledged that we would stand ready to help local law enforcement and the local community in any way we can during this time of sorrow.